Springfield Mil-Spec 1911

This is a discussion on Springfield Mil-Spec 1911 within the Defensive Carry Guns forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Does Springfield do anything to this weapon that wasn't done to the originall John Browning design to let the pistol feed hollow point rounds.
I ...

Springfield Mil-Spec 1911

Does Springfield do anything to this weapon that wasn't done to the originall John Browning design to let the pistol feed hollow point rounds.
I have had a few originals over the years and hardball was all I could use.
I have a gunshow this weekend and maybe I'll find something!

I do know the original Colt 1911 was designed to fire ball ammo because that is all there was back then I believe, I could be wrong. Having owned a Springfield Mil-Spec 1911, I can say that it would not feed Gold Dots, but would feed Federal Hydrashocks, my guess is due to the more rounded profile of the Hydrashocks. In my experience with Springfield's base model 1911s like the GI and Mil-Spec, they will feed most quality JHPs just fine.

They do throat and polish their pistols. But, a properly built 1911 should feed HPs, I have stock USGI pistols from 1913, 1915, 1940 and a Commercial 1950 and they all feed my preferred HPs exceptionally well (Gold Dots).

IMO the Mil-Spec gives you the most bang for your buck than any other 1911 out there. Has great combat sights, polished feed ramp. polished and throated barrel, lowered and flared ejection port and beveled mag well. Big improvements over the old military models.

If and thats a big if you have any problems SA will fix it fast and free with shiping on their dime. Mine (SA Standard-same pistol, different name) has been 100% reliable since 1990. I swap the recoil, firing pin and mag springs out once a year with Wolff's on my B-Day. Run a hundred rounds through it and clean her up. Use Militec-1 grease and lube and she's slippier than a greased pig.

I added a few mods to mine to fit my requirements in a CCW but it was fine outta the box. It's a bullet eating machine and a KA SD weapon. It has fed everything I've put in the mag and only will not feed properly when I shoot about a hundred soft LSWC's through it. The lead builds up on the feed ramp and the bullets will hang up.

Not a true custom but I have 100% confidence in it and it's a beaut to my eyes. Had it reparkerized and the next finish will be hard chrome from Accurate Plating & Weaponry. They do FANTASTIC brushed hard chrome finishes that last forever.

I bought a SA GI recently. Mine is the base model. It has cycled everything I have put through it just fine. My Colt O1918 is a little finicky with Cor Bon HP, but it feeds Golden Sabres and Ranger HP just fine. Just picked up another box of Rangers today, so I'm going to put the Cor Bon ammo back in the box and shoot it next time I'm at the range.

although it will probably be a year or more before I can afford another handgun (10/22 and a riflescope or two are earlier on the list) I"m really drooling over getting a 1911 - probably a mil-spec but maybe a colt series 70. Might have to get the piggy bank going!

Hollow points are best suited to be fired from a ramped/supported barrel rather than the old Browning unsupported design. The old design uses the inside top of the magazine well as a ramp and the barrel is not supported. The unramped/unsupported models are not intended to have hp through them becuase it would damage the top of the frame. You can get around that by using Pow R Ball ammo.

The ramped/supported design allows the rounds to be taken up at a slightly steeper angle by the feed ramp. Less damage can occur to the frame of the firearm that way and it allows for the use of hollow points.

What Browning design are you referring to?
The 1911's barrel is supported by the recoil abutment, it's the case rim that isn't supported.

I was referring to the original 1911 design that didn't have the ramped supported barrel. The Colt Series 70's should be along those lines. The ramp on the barrel actually sits on top of the frame at the magazine well face, which is also in-part to where it gets the "supported" name for the barrel. I'm not a 1911 expert by any means, but that's what I was given by my armor, who has built, repaired, and restored a few hundred (several brands, several models).

There's not supposed to be as much movement in the ramped barrels as there is in the non-ramped. I'd have to agree with that since I have owned both versions. My 25 year old Springer has plenty of movement with the slide to the rear, but my newer GI Champion with the ramped barrel did not have much, if any movement.

I have noticed that some of the Colt Series 70's tend to not be as tempermental with hollow points as other brands can be. Springfield made their older Milspecs and GI's on the Series 70 type; their CS folks told me they do not make a Series 80 clone, all their 1911's supposedly are Series 70 clones.

I was referring to the original 1911 design that didn't have the ramped supported barrel.

They have the same type barrels today (like I said before, they are supported by the recoil abutment) that they had when the first pistols were assembled on 28 Dec, 1911. (Some of the Para's, Springers and others have used/use ramped barrels, but the majority of manufacturers still use the original design).

The throat contour is the only thing changed.

Original-Throated-Dimpled

Springfield made their older Milspecs and GI's on the Series 70 type; their CS folks told me they do not make a Series 80 clone, all their 1911's supposedly are Series 70 clones.

Springfield has never made a Series 70 clone. Unfortunately, "Series 70" has become a generic term. What makes a Series 70, a "Series 70" has nothing to do with the fire control system, if your armor knows the 1911 he will tell you that. It was the collet barrel bushing and "Accurizor" barrel that made the pistols Series 70s. They then became the "Series 80" with the addition of the firing pin safety. The Springers and even the Colt reproduction "Series 70" are more like the pre-1971 Colts.